A trial in which members of one group are treated with a test substance and those of another group are treated with a placebo as a control.
A scientific approach employed to evaluate the efficacy of novel therapies or to make comparisons between diverse treatment options.
In a typical controlled pharmaceutical trial, two comparable sets of patients suffering from the same ailment undergo courses of seemingly identical therapy. However, only one set, referred to as the experimental group, actually receives the new treatment. The second set, known as the control group, is administered a placebo, which is a harmless substance devoid of active components. Alternatively, the control group may be given a well-established medication already recognized for its effectiveness. Following a predetermined duration, both groups are medically evaluated. If the patients receiving the new treatment exhibit a greater degree of improvement compared to those in the placebo group (or those receiving the existing treatment), this outcome serves as evidence of the drug’s beneficial impact.
Controlled trials necessitate the implementation of a “blind” approach, wherein the patients remain unaware of the treatment they are receiving. In a “double-blind” trial, both the patients and the evaluating physicians are kept unaware of which treatment is being administered to each individual.